At the end of the Book of Acts is found the account of the Apostle Paul’s voyage to Rome, and the storm at sea. When all the crew had given up hope of surviving, Paul stands on the deck and shares with them that God has promised safety to all: “Keep up your courage, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told.”
Sometimes it just takes believing. And sometimes it just takes a believer to share their faith: “It will be as God has told.”
Barren Sarah had difficulty believing that it would be as she had been told, but God’s promises came true in Isaac. Tongue-tied Moses had difficulty believing that it would be as he had been told—that God would be with him and that two nations would listen to Moses; but we know the rest of that story.
Lonely, hiding Gideon had difficulty believing that it would be as he had been told, yet, with just three hundred men, he defeated two combined armies, “countless as the sand on the seashore.”
Even the preacher, Zechariah, had difficulty believing that it would be as he had been told. And because of his unbelief, he was mute till the day that the promise came true, and his and Elizabeth’s lives were blessed with John, who became The Baptist—the One who was to go before, and announce the Savior.
The disciples in the upper room on the third day had difficulty believing that it would be as they had been told, till Jesus came and stood in their midst. But storm-tossed Paul believed, and because of that belief, 276 lives were saved.
“Nevertheless, we must run aground.” Here are logged Paul’s words proclaiming the realism of human life. Yes, we are saved, and being saved, by God; but sooner or later, every human life will run aground. In fact, it’s hard for me to bring to mind one Biblical character whose life, in some form or fashion, did not run aground!
A family is planned, but humans fail, and we run aground. A career is chosen, planned for, prepared for, and entered; then our job is out-sourced, and we run around. We never fathomed what it may truly mean to fulfill the vow, “in sickness and health;” then a spouse becomes incapacitated, and lives run aground. We make plans for our children’s futures (as if their lives are our choice); but then folly, or indulgence, or lack of judgment, or chance intrudes, and everyone runs aground.
But finally, we come upon the last lines of Luke’s ship log: “And so it was that all were brought safely to land—some on planks and others on pieces of the ship.” It was the flotsam and jetsam—the wreckage—that brought all to safety, and another chance at life.
By God’s grace, and within God’s providence, we survive the maddeningly lengthy storms of life’s ocean. We even survive the running aground. And even if all we have left to cling to are planks and pieces of our ship— a new relationship—a unexpected new career— the peace of accepting that all lives run a course—hope that, somehow, our children survive us, and somehow make it—even just on these, God will yet deliver us to safety, and another chance at life.
“Keep up your courage, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as we have been told.”
- Log in or Subscribe to post comments.